Talking-machine tone-arm.



A. H. SCHWARZAOPF.

TALKING MACHINE TONE ARM.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 9. 1916.

latentd Feb. 26, 1918,

A. R. SCHWARZKOPF.

TALKING MACHINE TONE ARM.

APPLlcATmN FILED sEPT.9.1915.

Lmw, Patented Feb. 26,1916.

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ARTHUR R. SCHWARZKOPF, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRUNSWXCK- IBALKE-COLLENDER COMPANY, WARE.

F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F DELA- maritime-MACHINE TONE-ARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1919.

Application filed September 9, 1916. Serial No. 119,298.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR R. SCHWARZ- KOPF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented ce1:- tain new and useful Improvements in Talking-Machine Tone-Arms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has'for its object to provide` a universal talking machine tone'arm :for use with records of both the bottom cut and side cut types and particularly those familiarly known as the Victor, Edison and Path records.

A further object of the invention is to dispense with the necessity for detaching any parts of the tone arm when it is desired to play one or the other make of records but to enable this to be done by simply moving parts into and out of operative position and which can be done easily and quickly by any user without special skill or instruction.

A further object of the invention is to proportion and dispose the parts so that the stylus for each type of record will be held in place in the groove under the proper pressure, thereby preserving the desired tone volume and quality.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one preferred embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the invention arranged for playing an Edison record;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the invention as shown in Fig. l;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 of Figs. 2 and 3, respectivcly; l

Fig. 5 shows the invention arranged to play a Victor record;

Fig. 6 shows both ,sound boxes thrown at rest, and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the invention as shown in Fig. 6.

The invention comprises a tone arm having a main section 8 and two branch sections 9 and 10 pivotally mounted at the outer end of the main section. The tone arm is mounted on a basell which carries the support 12 for the record 13 and is adapted to shift or travel in the usual manner in a horizontal plane above the record and substantially parallel therewith.

'operative position will be Inthe outer end 8 of the main section 8 of the tone arm there is secured a transverse sleeve 14 which has a side opening l5 communicating with said main section. The

branch sections are mounted on the sleeve 14 on opposite sides of the main section and are secured'in place by a center bolt 16 having a screw-threaded connection with the heads 17. This sleeve has a side opening 18 which communicates with the branch 10 and a side opening 19 which communicates with the branch 9, the construction being such that when one branch is in inoperative position and the other in operative position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there will be an uninterrupted passage through the branch in operative position and the main section of the tone arm whereas the branch in inshut oif at the sleeve from communication with the main section of the tone arm.

The branch section 9 carries a sound box 20 and stylus for playing Edison records; the branch section carries a sound box 21 for playing Victor and Path records. The sound-box 20 may be rigidly or detachably connected with its branch 9 but the sound box 21 is swiveled at 22 on the outer end of its branch and is secured in adjusted position by a set screw 23. By reason of this swivel connection the sound box 21 may be turned to a position substantially parallel with the branch l0-to play Victor records, as shown in full lines in Fig. 5, or. into a position substantially at right angles to the direction of branch 10 to play Path records, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 5.

The construction of my invention is such that it can be readily adapted to play any type of record as occasion may require without disconnecting any of the parts and by simply moving the proper sound box into 'operative position and swinging the other sound box back into inoperative position. The sound box when swung to inoperative position will rest upon the main section of the tone arm, as shown in Figs. 5-7, but I prefer that the sound box 2l shall be turned to the position shown in Figs.` 6 and 7 when swung to inoperative position and for thi'sreason I provide a stop 21 on the main section 8 which is engaged bya projection 25 on the branch 10 to limit the rearward movement of said branch and its sound box. In this way I am enabled to reeo'A duce the height of the device when both branches are folded to inoperative position so that they will readily fit within the cover' of the ordinary cabinet and also avoid any interference of one sound box with the other. The proper stylus for playing Victor and Path records is secured in the sound box 21 in the usual manner as required.

By proportioning the weight of the sound boxes and the length of the branches and by reason of the swivel connection of the sound box 21 with branch 10, as shown in the drawings, I am enabledto provide the proper weight for all practical purposes required upon the stylus for the different types of records. Thus it will readily be observed that the pressure upon the stylus on the "sound box 21 when arranged for playing Victor records will be less than when the sound box is arranged for playing Path records. The weight of the sound box 2O is such that it will exert the proper pressure upon the record which is less than that re` quired upon the Edison record which is less than that required for playing Victor and Path records. IThis produces the proper volume and quality of tone from each record the same is if the record were played upon the particular machine Vfor which it is specially designed. When either sound box is swung to inoperative position communication between that. branch and the main section is automatically shut off at the sleeve 14 so that-there will be no waste of the sound waves through the inoperative branch.

It Will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacriicing any .of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A talking machine tone arm compris' ing a main section, a fixed transverse sleeve centrally mounted on the outer end of said main section and extending beyond said main section on both sides thereof, branch sections each having a portion surrounding the respective ends of said sleeve at opposite sides of said main section, sound boxes carried by said branch sections, said sleeve having an opening communicating with said main section, and an independent opening in said sleeve registering with each branch section only when the same is arranged with its sound box in operative position.

2. A talking machine tone arm comprising a main section, two branch sections, and a transverse sleeve rigidly mounted on the end of the main section upon which said branch sections are pivotally mounted and having an opening communicating therewith and also having openings communicating with said branch sections when in operative position, said communicating openings being automatically closed when the corre.- sponding branch sections are disposed in inoperative position.

3. A talking machine tone arm comprising a main section, a transverse sleeve rigidly mounted on the end of the main section and having a side opening communicating with said main section, and openings on either side of said main section opening and disposed on the opposite side of the sleeve therefrom, and branch sections pivotally mounted on said sleeve over said openings so that when either branch section is in operative position there will be a continuous communication from said branch through said sleeve to the main section, but when either branch section is in inoperative position the opening for said branch will be. closed.

ARTHUR R. SCHWARZKOPF.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE A. AHNsTRoM, PETER HOEKENGA. 

